’s Work? Essay, Research Paper
The majority
of this extract uses narrated interior monologue to register Anne Elliot?s
impressions.? This gives the reader the
impression that they are looking at the occasion through Anne Elliot?s eyes.? Jane Austen uses this perspective to great
effect during this extract in order to manipulate the reader?s bias, by giving
the reader an insight into her thoughts and feelings. ??????????? The use of
narrated interior monologue is apparent throughout the extract and phrases such
as ?Anne felt an instant oppression? give the reader and insight, not only into
the mind of Anne Elliot expressing her reaction to the entrance of her father
and sister, but also the phrase gives the reader a sense that a similar
reaction was felt by the others in the room.?
In this way the author not only displays the reaction of Anne Elliot,
which is clearly adverse towards her father and sister?s intrusion, but also by
using the words ?instant oppression?, gives the reader an instant picture of
the atmosphere in the room. ??????????? In similar
ways Anne?s perspective, prior knowledge and sensitivity towards people allows
Austen to show the reactions of other characters to a single event through
Anne?s eyes.? For example, Anne?s prior
knowledge of Captain Wentworth allows her to give the reader a clear impression
of his reaction to her sister?s invitation. (?Anne caught his eye?and his mouth
form itself into a momentary expression of contempt?) ??????????? Austen also
uses the entrance of Sir Walter and Elizabeth Elliot to manipulate the reader?s
response towards these characters. Anne?s response, one of dislike towards the
clearly unwanted intrusion plays a large part in manipulating the bias of the
reader against Sir Walter and Elizabeth Elliot.? ??????????? Also,
despite the well-mannered and formal behaviour, the reader senses a falsity in
the addresses. Anne?s point of view aids the effect of this induced
reaction.? It is Anne?s prior knowledge
that allows the reader to realise this underlying bitterness from past
experience.? (?Captain Wentworth was
acknowledged?by Elizabeth more graciously than before?).? The reader therefore, senses the
hypocritical nature in the behaviour of Sir Walter and Elizabeth in their
cordial invitation to Captain Wentworth. ??????????? Austen?s
use of Anne?s rational reasoning, whilst maintaining her bias firmly set
against her father and sister gives a less than flattering picture of
Elizabeth?s motivations.? In this way
too, Austen gives the reader an insight into the extremely selfish character of
Elizabeth.? (?The truth was, Elizabeth
had been long enough in Bath to understand the importance of a man of such an
air and appearance as his?Captain Wentworth would move about well in her
drawing-room). ??????????? It is clear
that during this piece Austen is intent upon giving us the impression of
Captain Wentworth?s displeasure, Elizabeth?s hypocrisy, and Anne?s dislike of
her father and sisters intrusion, all using Anne?s perspective on the
situation. In this objective Austen is extremely successful as a powerful
picture of Anne?s impressions and emotions is effectively put over to the
reader.1b)?????? The
mood/atmosphere of the encounter is set extremely early on in the extract.? Austen once more exploits Anne?s sensitivity
towards the reactions of others, in order to create an impression of the
atmosphere of the occasion. Anne not only conveys her own reaction to the
entrance of her father and sister early in the piece but also comments on the
reactions of the other persons present in order to create a negative
atmosphere.? (?The door was thrown open
for Sir Walter and Miss Elliot, whose entrance seemed to give a general
chill?).? The word ?chill? gives the
reader an excellent impression of Anne?s sensing a real deterioration of the
warmth of the occasion. Anne is made used to great effect as a ?sensitive?
character; this gives Jane Austen the character she needs in order to create an
impression of the atmosphere of a particular occasion (?Anne felt an instant
oppression?).? This statement gives the
reader an extremely negative impression of the effect the entrance had on the
?comfort, the freedom, the gaiety of the room?.? It also gives the reader an extremely powerful feeling of the
fast alteration of the atmosphere between warm, comfortable and free and oppressed,
uncomfortable and cold.? This quick
shift, brought about by the entrance of two people, gives the reader a powerful
impression of the atmosphere of the occasion. ??????????? This
impression of a chilled, oppressive atmosphere continues throughout the
remainder of the extract.? (?After the
waste of a few minutes saying the proper nothings, she began to give the
invitation.?)? The impression of an
extremely polite, but tense atmosphere is also conveyed to the reader through
the coldness and dignity that is apparent throughout the addresses of Sir Walter
and Elizabeth to the other characters.1c)?????? Austen looks
at characters effectively during the novel ?Persuasion? by using Anne Elliot
as an accurate judge of the characters of others.? It is Anne?s perception that Allows Austen to develop characters so efficiently.? The judgements and reactions of characters
are entirely seen in this extract from Anne?s point of view.? This does subject them to some bias, as any
character?s viewpoint will bring prejudice and bias into a judgement.? However, in this case I believe we can take
Anne?s viewpoint as being almost impartial, and the only bias imparted is that
which the author intends us to have.? In
this way Austen imparts cleverly the reactions of others from observations made
by Anne.? (? Anne caught his eye, saw
his cheeks glow, and his mouth form itself into momentary expression of
contempt.?)? In this example, Anne not
only expresses the physical attributes of the reaction which may tend to give
the wrong impression, but through previous experience, Anne is able to comment
upon the emotional reaction.? This is
key in the readers understanding of Wentworth?s displeasure at receiving such
an unwanted invitation. The way in which Austen has used Anne in this situation
allows the reader in order to portray a number of different reactions.? Firstly, Anne?s own reaction conveys to the
reader the sense of displeasure, felt by the whole party, at the appearance of
Sir Walter and Elizabeth and the effect they had upon the atmosphere.? Secondly, using Anne as the author?s
viewpoint, allows the author to become a character in the story.? However, this can be used to great effect as
other characters can express their reactions and judgements to the author.? This is used in this extract in the case of
Mary. (?I do not wonder Captain Wentworth is delighted! You see he cannot put
the card out of his hand.?) This address tells the reader much about Mary and
her lack of sensible judgement and her ability to misinterpret people?s
reactions.? The later quote regarding
Captain Wentworth?s actual reaction shows the more accurate, observant
judgement of Anne on her observations.?
The reader?s attention is also drawn to Captain Wentworth by causing
Anne to look in his direction. His reaction is apparent through the accuracy of
Anne?s judgement. ?This technique is extremely effective in its objectives in that it
includes the reader in the story, looks at the judgements and reactions of
other characters, and examines them through the eyes of a manipulative character.? This last effect allows the author to
manipulate the reader?s bias.? In this
way therefore, the author has looked briefly, but clearly at the viewpoints of
three different characters, their reactions and judgements within the space of
a short extract. 2)???????? I think that
certainly Anne is portrayed as a reliable observer.? Her point of view is intended to be based upon factual evidence
rather than emotions in this extract.?
However, in my opinion, her negative reaction towards her father and
sister is certainly not impartial, as it is based upon a personal dislike for
their silly obsession with their own position and personal appearance.? In this circumstance, I think that Austen
intentionally biases Anne against them and their shallow characters in order to
manipulate the reader?s response.? In
this case Anne?s viewpoint is certainly reliable, although it may not be
entirely impartial.? Therefore, from the
evidence in this extract, (Anne?s judgements on Wentworth?s reaction to the
invitation, and on the atmosphere on her father and sister?s entrance.) it is
clear that Anne?s viewpoint is intended to be reliable. ??????????? As for her
being portrayed as sympathetic, she is clearly sensitive towards the emotions
and reactions of others, as well as to the subtle changes in the atmosphere created
by an event. However, in the extract Mary?s judgement on Captain Wentworth?s
reaction is said to ?vex? her.? In this
way Anne is certainly not sympathetic towards the judgements of Mary in this
case.? Therefore, she is sympathetic in
the sense of her being sensitive towards others; however, she is not
necessarily sympathetic in that she is not always compassionate towards the
abilities of others to make mistakes.3)???????? The most
obvious point of view introduced into the extract is that of Mary.? Mary?s viewpoint is clearly expressed in the
quotation: ?Only think of Elizabeth including everybody! I do not wonder that
Captain Wentworth in delighted! You see he cannot put the card out of his
hand.?? This viewpoint is then shown to
be fundamentally flawed by Anne?s more precise observation.? However, this point of view does give the
reader a key insight into Mary?s character.?
It shows firstly, that Mary is an extremely poor judge of a person?s
reaction to an event.? She misreads
Captain Wentworth entirely and jumps to the entirely wrong conclusion.? This not only shows that Mary doesn?t know
Captain Wentworth, it also shows that she has little time to appreciate the
feelings of others.? Her impetuous
judgements do not take into account any real facts, only the appearance of
fact.? An example of this is in Captain
Wentworth?s holding the card.? Instead
of regarding his countenance in order to read his true feelings, she jumps to
the conclusion that he is delighted with the invitation.? Her lack of sensitivity is apparent in this
short quotation and through this we learn much about Mary?s character. ??????????? The second
viewpoint in this extract is expressed in a less direct manner.? It is not a direct quotation, but instead
the author temporarily looks at the situation through the eyes of Elizabeth
Elliot: ?Elizabeth had been long enough in Bath, to understand the importance
of a man of such an air and appearance as his ? Captain Wentworth would move
about well in her drawing room.??
Through this short insight into the thoughts and feelings of Elizabeth
we learn much about Elizabeth as a character.?
We realise that her motives in extending an invitation to Captain
Wentworth are purely selfish and in no way a sort of reconciliatory gesture for
their relationship in the past. ?She
realises only the good impression that Captain Wentworth is capable of making
in her drawing room.? In this way her
own vanity is highlighted, she thinks only of how she would look surrounded by
such people of wealth and position.?
Elizabeth is therefore shown in a harsh revealing light.? This shows up her shallow nature in her
dealings with others and her motives in doing so.? In this way Austen manipulates the readers opinion against
Elizabeth, and shows us clearly the sort of character that she really is.4)???????? I find that
in many parts of this extract it is extremely difficult to separate the
authorial view from that of Anne Elliot, because Anne?s view is, fro the most
part, strikingly similar to that of the author.? There are places in this extract where I find it near impossible
to distinguish between the two.? I am
not sure whether the author intended for the reader not to be able to
distinguish between the two different viewpoints or whether it is just that,
because of the similarities, I find it difficult to distinguish.? There are parts of the extract where I am
certain that the author is looking at the situation from Anne?s point of view
(?Anne felt an instant oppression?), and there are also parts of the extract
where I know that is the Authorial view that is being expressed. (?After a few
minutes in saying the proper nothings,?)?
However, there are times when it is difficult to tell which of the two
is speaking, these ?grey? areas are generally peripheral to our understanding,
but it can still be difficult to understand from whose viewpoint the statement
is made.? In this way it would be
relatively straightforward to confuse Anne?s thoughts and feelings with those
of the author: (?The door was thrown open for Sir Walter and Miss Elliot, whose
entrance seemed to give a general chill.?) ??????????? I find that
the author does not generally intrude upon Anne?s judgement; however, it can be
difficult to separate the two.? I would
not describe this as authorial intrusion but simply ambiguity.? In this was any intrusion in my mind is
clearly implicit and in this way the first two lines can be described as an
intrusion of authorial judgement: ?The door was thrown open for Sir Walter and
Miss Elliot, whose entrance seemed to give a general chill. Anne felt an instant
oppression.?? It is clear that Anne felt
both the chill and the oppression, but in my opinion, the first sentence is
written from the author?s point of view because of the way Sir Walter and
Elizabeth are referred to.? In this way
the author has intruded upon the judgement of Anne Elliot with a similar
authorial judgement.? This is not
explicit, but is apparent upon close examination.?